Our Babies.

Taihape Daily Times, 12 August 1918, Page 6

Our Babies.

Last week I promised to tell you iow .babies are treated as regards clothing, bedding, fresh, air, etc., in the Karitane Baby Hospital, where the catching of colds in the institution practically never occurs.

The following is the general practice, and it must be borne in mind that the babies at Karitane are there because they have been ill or not thriving, and that usually their past rearing has not been on right line*. In fact, they represent babies in training for healthy, robust life. It may be taken for granted that a regime which suits these babies —babies who arrive delicate and sickly—should certainly be a safe course to pursue with the ordinary normal baby, instead of coddling it as the mother so foolishly tends to do.

For a few days after admission babies who are delicate or puny, especially if they have been coddled, are placed in rooms which are kept warmed more or less; hut the newcomers are soon habituated to unwarmed rooms, and to being kept out in the open air. The general rule of the institution is wide-open windows and free passages of cool air day and night—care being taken not to put a baby in a direct draught, and due attention being paid as to proper bedding and clothing. Hot bottles are used where needed, but the mother must he on her guard against the enervating tendencies of overheating the bed and overclothing the baby. More barm than good is done to babies by the thoughtless, routine use of hot jbottles. Healthy, normal babies do Sot need them, and a delicate baby is made more liable to catch cold by being kept unduly warm from time to time and subjected to relative chill when picked up and carried into the (open.- s r'v, WINTER—DUNEDIN. ; Ordinary Clothing for Day-time. 1. Long-sleeved silk and wool singlet or cellular cotton vest; 2, shorL sleeved knitted woollen singlet; 3, petticoat, bodice, and skirt, all flannel (cheap flannel is best, as being more porous and elastic than higher grades); 4, dress of winsey or viyella; 5, outside packet made of winsey or woollen material, knitted or otherwise. Memo. —In summer the short-sleeved woollen singlet and the outside jacket are ordinarily omitted, but it must be clearly understood that there can be no absolute routine in such matters. On a very warm day in winter a baby may need less clothing than on a very cold day in summer. HANDS AND FEET. When a baby is out in the open air in winter, the hands are usually covered with fingerless gloves, made of thin flannel. When a baby is taken out of bed and carried about, woollen bootees may be used. Great care is taken to make sure that the feet are completely enveloped and cosily happed up when the “picked-up” shawl or blanket is wrapped round the baby. During “kicking exercise” in a pen, in a warmed room no bootees are used; but if a baby is outside in winter say in a pen on the verandah, bootees, or preferably long stockings, as shown on. page 83, “Feeding and Care of Baby,” should be put on. At the Karitane Hospital the babies are placed on their thicknesses of blanket in the pen, or a thick rug and one blanket are used. BABY’S BED. )

The method of bed-making in use at the Karitano Hospital is illustrated and thoroughly described, on page 160 of the Society's Book, so I need merely mention the garments and blankets used at night —viz.: — 1. Long-sleeved silk and wool singlet; 2. short-sleeved knitted woollen singlet; 3. flannel nightdress; 4. Two good, warm, fluffy blankets, or preferably, a honeycomb shawl in place of one of the blankets If the weather is especially cold an extra blanket may be used. In warm -weather, on the other hand, use only one blanket (the enveloping blanket, see 2, fig. 64 page 160. ‘Feeding and Care of Baby’) and the knitted woollen vest should be omitted.

N.B.—The day and night garments are kept quite separate TsTo garment ■worn during the day is put on again for the night. It must be clearly understood that changes in clothing or bedding should be made cautiously but there is no greater or more common mistake than a mere routine allowance of clothing, without any thought as to whether the particular day is bitterly cold or oppressively warm. Always bear in mind that a baby should be clad ratheraccording to the particular day than according to the season of the year, though, of course, the summer clothing in general should be lighter than the winter clothing. The tendency of mothers is certainly to overclothe in warm weather, and very often babies are carelessly taken out underclad on a cold or windy day.